Meta-analysis of B vitamin supplementation on plasma homocysteine, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality

In this issue of Clinical Nutrition Huang and colleagues 1 Huang T. Chen Y. Yang B. Yang J. Wahlqvist M.L. Li D. Meta- analysis of B vitamin supplementation on plasma homocysteine, cardio-vascular and all-cause mortality. Clin Nutr. 2012; 31: 448-454 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (92) Google Scholar reported very important information that B vitamin supplementation has a significant protective effect on stroke. Although the design and expression of this meta-analysis was very reasonable and rigorous, the conclusion should be interpreted with caution. Reply to Fang SK – Meta-analysis of B vitamin supplementation on plasma homocysteine, cardiovascular and all-cause mortalityClinical NutritionVol. 32Issue 2PreviewAs suggested by Fang SK et al., we stratified the homocysteine (Hcy) level and net change in blood Hcy levels in order to acquire the definite relation between Hcy levels and stroke. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 depict the results from fixed-effects models pooling the RR for stroke. The overall relative risks with 95% confidence intervals of stroke for patients treated with B vitamin supplementation compared with placebo were 0.89 (0.83–0.96) when Hcy was lower than 14 μmol/L, and 0.82 (0.62–1.02) when Hcy was equal or higher than 14 μmol/L. Full-Text PDF